Canada and the United States have one of the closest trade relationships in the world, built on shared values and deeply integrated supply chains that support hundreds of thousands of jobs and opportunities on both sides of the border.
Today, the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development, concluded a visit to Washington, D.C., where she was joined by Canadian consuls general from across the U.S. and members of Parliament from both sides of the House of Commons.
Over 3 days, the Team Canada delegation emphasized the importance of the Canada-U.S. secure and resilient supply chain and the key role it will play in the post-pandemic economic recovery.
The Team convened more than 50 meetings with U.S. presidential administration officials, including Katherine Tai, United States Trade Representative, members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives from both parties, representatives of binational labour unions, and automotive industry and business leaders to advocate for the future of industries and workers on both sides of the border who would be seriously affected by the proposed electric vehicle tax credits in the Build Back Better Act.
Minister Ng also raised Canada-U.S. trade issues of serious concern for Canada and Canadians, including protectionist Buy America provisions in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. She reiterated that Canada is disappointed by the doubling of U.S. duties on Canadian softwood lumber and reaffirmed that Canada is committed to working collaboratively on the scientific and technical aspects of exports of fresh potatoes from the province of Prince Edward Island to the U.S.
As laid out in the Road Map for a Renewed Canada-U.S. Partnership, which Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and President Joe Biden agreed to on February 23 and to which they reaffirmed their commitment at the North American Leaders' Summit on November 18, the success of the shared Canada-U.S. manufacturing supply chains will be crucial to supporting North American competitiveness, and the two countries are committed to a strong, sustainable, and inclusive shared recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Quotes
"Canada and the United States share mutually beneficial supply chains and clear, ambitious plans to fight climate change together. For the past 6 years, we have taken a Team Canada approach to defending Canadian workers and businesses, and it works. We will continue this work together, and our Government will always stand up for Canadians."
- Mary Ng, Minister of International Trade, Export Promotion, Small Business and Economic Development
Quick facts
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Canada and the United States benefit from a trillion-dollar trade and investment relationship that supports millions of middle-class jobs on both sides of the border.
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Canada and the United States share the longest and most secure border in the world, over which approximately $2.5 billion worth of goods and services cross daily.
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In 2019, the Great Lakes automotive manufacturing cluster produced 6.6M vehicles. In the same year, Canada-U.S. bilateral automotive trade amounted to over US$112 billion.
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Canadian assembled vehicles, on average, contain approximately 50% U.S. parts and components. Canada imports over US$22 billion worth of automotive parts from the U.S. each year, while Ontario supplies over US$10 billion in automotive parts within the Great Lakes cluster alone.
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Canada imports an average of US$23 billion in vehicles from the United States each year, representing about 10% of U.S. production and making Canada the #1 market for U.S. automotive exports.
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Canada is very supportive of global efforts for a more sustainable future and has committed to a target of 100% of new automotive sales to be zero-emission by 2035.
